Dirt 'N' All!
by fantasy77
Summary: Nikki/Josh fic but its mostly about Nikki trying to explain to Kate about loving someone "dirt 'n' all". Enjoy! One-shot!


**I don't Sea Patrol or its characters!**

Dirt 'N' All

Nikki smiled as she closed her book for the night. She loved reading books that took her to far away places. Sometimes it was just get away from her everyday, hectic life or just for the fun of it. She also loved reading when she was on the Hammersley. She loved how the waves rocked the boat. It helped lull her into the book.

"Why do have a stupid smile on your face?"

Nikki looked up and saw it was Kate.

Kate had just entered the cabin when she noticed Nikki smiling a silly smile.

"Oh, nothing much. I just love the ending."

Kate leant against the railing of the bunks. "What happened?" She didn't need to ask what Nikki was on about because she had seen Nikki reading the book in her hands for the past two weeks.

"She finally got her man. Dirt 'n' all." Nikki had a huge satisfied smile on her face.

"'Dirt 'n' all'?" Kate's brows knitted together in confusion.

Nikki laughed when she saw Kate's face.

"Well the story is about this man and woman."

Kate gave her a look saying, 'I'd gathered that already'. She flapped her hand to push Nikki along a bit quicker.

"Well you see this girl is a farmer and she loves it. She loves the crops she grows and loves watching them flourish. Anyway she meets Sean, that's the guy and well he's a bit full of himself." Nikki stops for a moment then thinks. "No, he's a complete jerk. He's really mean to her because she's so dirty and well common." Nikki's face turns from thoughtful to evil.

"What?" Kate asks curiously.

"The girl Elenor gets her own back at him. She plays some good tricks and... its awesome. Anyway they fall in love and when he proposes to her he says he loves her dirt 'n' all."

Kate looks at Nikki as if she's mad. "That's it? So there's nothing really important about that?" Kate turns around and slips onto her rack mumbling under her breath. which sounded like, "What a waste of paper."

Nikki pops her head over the edge to look at Kate. "You don't get it do you. Through the entire story Sean believes that Elenor is less then a human because she works in the common dirt. He's sexist and really mean. He pushs her when she's about to fall and he laughs at her when its wrong." Paused for a sec to take a quick breath.

"Elenor on the other hand could have been a pain the butt back. She could have kicked him where it hurt most. She could have humiliated him right in front of his friend but you know what!!" Nikki's voice was growing steadily loud and her expression serious.

"What?" Kate asked quietly.

"She doesn't. She sees past all that and sees what he could become. A great guy. So when he says dirt 'n' all, it really means a lot to her because up until that point he couldn't see past his pride or prejudice."

Nikki stopped and calmed herself down. She climbed off her rack so she could see Kate better.

"Kate." Nikki asked softly. "If you ever meet a man that was soo kind to you but you couldn't give him the time of day because he was just different from you and because he had different views. You were cold to him when you should have been warm, you ignored him when you should have listened. What would you do after all that had happened and the roles reversed on you?"

There was silence in the small cabin. All that could be heard were the deep breaths of both women.

"I don't know. I would probably feel completely stupid and humiliated. I don't know." Kate said at last.

"Kate." It was one word but so much was expressed in that one word that Kate shut her eyes.

Nikki leant forwards. "Kate. Just think about this guy for a moment, the one in the story I mean. He realised he was wrong and he was willing to change everything to make his life better, even though it was ok physically. Mentally there was nothing there. Would you do that?" Nikki cocked her brow and waited patiently for her friends answer.

The silence came back for a moment then Kate spoke very softly and haltingly. "Sometimes Nikki. You don't have a choice to change. Sometimes its made for you and even though you didn't choose it, you have to live with it every single day." There was a pause. "I guess to your answer if I had the courage and gutts to do it maybe or maybe not. I just don't know because I haven't been confronted with that situation yet."

Nikki sat on the edge of Kate's bed. "I guess that's true Kate but what I'm trying to get you to see is that sometimes you've got to look through dirt or even something more then dirt to really see the beauty in someone." Nikki paused then added half heartedly, "Not that will happen to me, of course. It'd be cool of course but, ah well. Anyway, we'd better get some sleep so, night." Nikki smiled then got into her rack.

Little did the women know that their voices had carried to a pair of ears which should not have been listening.

Josh smiled as he went back to his cabin. So Nikki liked romance, he thought. He scratched his head though with his last thought, dirt 'n' all? Well if she wanted dirt then dirt she will get, he thought.

_A week or two later..._

Nikki was sitting on the beach reading a new book. She was enjoying the sunshine when a shadow stood over the page she was currently reading.

"Hey!" She looked up.

Josh stood there with a smile on his face.

"What's with the smile Josh and do you mind? You're standing in my light." Nikki asked as she craned her neck to look up at him.

Josh knelt down and stood facing her the smile disappearing. "Nikki, I just want you know that I like you 'dirt 'n' all'."

Then Nikki felt something falling on her head. She put a hand up to touch her hair when she felt sand.

"JOSH!!"

"What?" Josh looked surprised.

"WHY THE HECK DID YOU PUT DIRT IN MY HAIR?!"

"Y-you said it would be cool if someone d-did it. Dirt is something special too. I-it makes t-things grow an-nd gives new life. It m-makes the world beautiful." Josh spoke the last bit quietly. "Just like you."

But Nikki caught the last bit and calmed down. "Aww, I like you too. Dirt 'n' all."

**A/N: I know its been awhile but yeah... I hope you enjoyed this one and hopefully it made sense. I know I haven't updated learning to love for awhile but I've just ran out of ideas. One day I'll update it and yeah.**


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